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BARRIERS


"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals."

-Brian Tracy


Prompt:

Inevitably, as we move through our creative lives we encounter barriers or rather, things that we perceive as barriers. For this discussion, I’d like to think about what we have found as barriers to creating the work we want, and what we have done or are doing to overcome them.


My Answer:

I’ve always faced barriers to making the kind of work I really want to make.

“No one wants to watch that” - Just let me try it once

“We don’t teach classes like that” - Just let me see if I can fill one

“I can’t travel as much anymore” - I’ll create an online community to stay connected

“I’m burned out on doing the same thing” - I’ll do something new instead of stopping

“There’s no where to perform here” - I’ll join a non-profit and make the events I want to see

“There’s no where to train” - I’ll build it

…and so on…


There is always a solution, you just have to want it.


Thoughts and Actions:


What are some of the common barriers to making art?

Lack of access.

Lack of time.

Lack of opportunity.

Lack of motivation.

Lack of confidence.

Lack of companionship or community.

Lack of funds.

Lack of contacts or connections.

Burnout.

Toxic relationships.

Not knowing where to begin.


How do we overcome these barriers?

Any one of these barriers CAN have a solution, albeit, it may need to be a creative one. In the arts it’s often a case of “If you build it they will come”.

Don’t have the funds? Make a trade. 

Don’t have the confidence? Start small and build up to your goal.

And etc…


This topic actually dovetails really nicely with our PERFORMANCE TOOLKIT prompt for the month, because “Process” is a key in overcoming various barriers… time, motivation, etc…


What about barriers for others? For the non-artist?

There have been a lot of studies done about barriers to the arts for the average person… 

Art can feel elitist, so we as artists need to make it feel accessible.

Art can feel too passive, so we as artists need to create engaging experiences.

Included in this is the need for artists to practice inclusivity to demonstrate how connecting through creative expression can reduce social isolation and improve social cohesion. Not to mention that with more involvement comes more opportunity [for the artist]. It’s the economy of scale. If everyone everywhere felt that art was a priority in their lives, you better believe there would be more access, and access begets opportunity, opportunity creates funding, motivation, etc.




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